We answer the questions that we are frequently asked about staying on Drupal 7 as its end-of-life date approaches.
Prior to attending my first DrupalCon, I had always wanted to learn more about Drupal, the Drupal community, and the Drupal Association. I was able to connect with Von Eaton, the Drupal Association’s Director, Programs, who was beyond amazing in diving deeper with me about the Drupal community. Through our interview engagement, I discovered more about DrupalCon and was offered the chance to attend!
DrupalCon is a four day-long conference where the Drupal community gets together, shares ideas, and collaborates on new ventures. It offers the opportunity to network within the community and also take time to break bread together. This is something I had a great interest in attending, and it was made possible through the DrupalCon Scholarship Program.
This initiative is a very comprehensive experience as a new attendee to DrupalCon. Prior to the conference, you get to connect with other new members like yourself and also have a dedicated mentor assigned to you to help navigate the events. The Welcome Breakfast for scholars on the first day is a great way to bond to Discover Drupal graduates and other scholars. Another useful tool that was resourceful to me was the guide for first-timers or scholars – this helped me to select which sessions to attend.
The Drupal Association is able to provide funding for these scholarships because of our amazing, dedicated, and mission-driven partners, donors, and members. If you would like to help support this year’s scholars, you can directly donate to the scholarship fund! Donors are invited to attend the Welcome Breakfast, where they will be honored for their contribution and have the chance to meet and network with our scholars.
Attending DrupalCon is something I look forward to every year, and it was all made possible thanks to the DrupalCon Scholarship Program!
Kwasi Afreh, DrupalCon North America Scholarship recipient
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Help make a difference by donating now to the DrupalCon scholarship program. Each scholarship recipient receives a 1-year membership to the Drupal Association, complimentary registration, lodging, and travel, and will be paired with a mentor to create a welcoming conference experience.
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Don’t miss this year’s DrupalCon Pittsburgh in-person conference for the opportunity to meet, collaborate, and network with the Drupal Community. We look forward to seeing you in Pittsburgh!
A stable version of Recipes is yet to be released in 2023, this initiative is a prominent part of Drupal 10.
Drupal 10 provides a powerful platform for building websites and applications. It offers various ways of site-building, including profiles, distributions, and now recipes.
As part of the Drupal strategic initiative, site-builders & developers can greatly benefit from the improvements to be provided by the recipes initiative.
Drupal 10 recipes are expected to provide more flexibility and ease of use to site builders and developers, allowing them to create custom solutions that meet their specific needs. Although a stable version of recipes is yet to be released in 2023, this initiative is a prominent part of Drupal 10 features.
This blog will help you understand how recipes are different from profiles and distributions and how they are a way forward in Drupal site-building.
Profiles and distributions are often confused, but they are not the same thing. Drupal vanilla, or the basic Drupal installation, is relatively bare and lacks many of the essential features required to create a full-fledged website.
Profiles and distributions are pre-configured packages that contain a set of modules, themes, and configurations that can be used to create a specific type of website.
Profiles and distributions are pre-configured packages that contain a set of modules, themes, and configurations that can be used to create a specific type of website.
Distributions are built on top of Drupal and provide a use-case-specific package. They include a pre-selected set of modules, themes, and configurations that are designed to fulfill a particular use case.
For instance, a media and publishing distribution will include modules like feed, carousel banner, facet search, or similar features specific to media websites.
Distributions are a great way to get started quickly and provide a solid foundation to build on top of.
Profiles, on the other hand, are subsets of distributions and are included in Drupal core. Drupal core comes with three installation profiles: Standard, Minimal, and Demo (Umami).
Installation profiles determine the set of modules, themes, and configurations that are included in a distribution.
For an e-commerce site, one could use the standard installation profile as a base and add additional modules and themes to customize the site.
Drupal vanilla is bare and lacks any pre-configured settings or features. Profile and Distribution are similar concepts in Drupal, but serve different purposes.
Enter recipes!
Recipes are a modular approach to site-building in Drupal. They are small use cases that can be easily combined or customized to create a unique solution. Recipes are like microservices that can be plugged in and played as needed.
Recipes are modular building blocks that allow developers to create custom site features quickly and efficiently.
A distribution is a use case that customizes Drupal to fulfill a specific need. Unlike distributions, recipes do not use installation profiles and can be tweaked at any point in the site-building process.
Installation profiles are part of Drupal core. These profiles determine which set of modules, themes, and configurations are installed during the initial setup of your Drupal site.
The actual backend of any distribution is happening here, as installation profiles are responsible for setting up the initial site structure.
A Profile is a type of distribution that provides a more focused set of features for a specific use case. Profiles can be thought of as smaller, more specific distributions that cater to particular needs.
Unlike distributions, recipes do not use installation profiles and can be tweaked at any point in the site-building process.
To illustrate the differences between these site-building methods, let's consider an example. Suppose you want to build a news website that includes features such as a feed, carousel banner, and facet search. You could use a pre-built news distribution that includes these features out of the box.
However, if you need to make further customizations, you would need to modify the installation profile or distribution, which could be time-consuming and complicated.
Alternatively, you could use an installation profile such as Standard and then install the necessary modules manually. This approach provides more flexibility, but it requires more effort and expertise to set up.
Finally, you could use a recipe approach and install each required module and configure them individually. This approach provides the most flexibility but requires the most effort to set up.
One of the primary objectives of Recipes initiatives is to overcome the challenges, site maintainers and developers face with distributions and to:
Drupal recipes have certain limitations, such as:
Can't be part of a deployment. Deploying the content created by a Drupal recipe is out-of-scope.
In conclusion, Drupal provides several site-building methods that allow users to create custom solutions to their specific needs. Profiles, distributions, and recipes are all powerful ways that can help you build your Drupal site efficiently and effectively.
Drupal 10 recipes are an exciting addition to the Drupal ecosystem and will help make building websites and applications faster and more efficient than ever before.
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OffStill using an old version of Drupal? We’re confident you’ll want to update after seeing Claro, the new default admin theme in Drupal core.
Claro replaces Seven, which has only had minor updates since being designed in 2009. The new theme is a breath of fresh air for content editors, site builders, and anyone else spending time in the Drupal admin UI.
True to its name–Spanish word for ‘clear’–Claro is clutter-free and simple to navigate. It’s less intimidating to learn, more accessible for users with disabilities, and easier to use on mobile.
Claro was built using feedback from an admin UX study. As part of the Drupal Admin UI & Javascript Modernisation Initiative, it aims to:
Create a more approachable experience for site builders and content authors
Comply with best practices and accessibility standards
Embrace workflows, tools, and practices that are familiar to JavaScript developers
Claro was initially introduced as an experimental version in Drupal 8.8, became stable in April 2022, and is now the default admin UI in Drupal 10.
Below are some of the features we’re most excited about!
Claro uses a base font-size of 16px to make text easier to read. Its modular scale for typography helps to create a clear and consistent visual hierarchy.
Claro’s modular scale for typography ensures consistent readability. Credit: Drupal.
Claro’s style guide is designed to use system fonts. This means improved performance and support for various writing systems. It creates a better experience for admins who want to use Drupal 10 in the typography or language they’re most comfortable with.
An example of the Claro UI with text in Devanagari rendered using system fonts on macOS. Credit: Drupal.
Claro has a light colour palette that’s easy on the eye. It includes both neutral and vivid hues, which can be paired together for high contrast. This helps important elements such as buttons to stand out.
Claro also provides out-of-the-box support for the Windows high-contrast mode: an assistive technology designed to help users with visual impairments.
A clean colour palette is an important ingredient in Claro’s simple, accessible design. Credit: Drupal.
A high-contrast palette allows important elements to stand out in the Drupal 10 admin UI. Credit: Drupal.
Buttons and dropdowns have been redesigned to make it more obvious that users can click or interact with them. There are various size variations for use in reduced spaces such as tables.
Claro offers a range of improved button and dropdown styles. Credit: Drupal.
Claro maintains the same style for focus states across its components. This is an important improvement for usability and accessibility.
Focus styles are consistent throughout the Claro theme. Credit: Drupal.
Claro’s creators have worked hard to cut down visual clutter. The outlined icons you would have seen in Seven have been simplified in Claro for a clean, minimalist look.
Minimalist icons create a modern look in the Drupal 10 admin UI. Credit: Drupal.
Claro’s generous use of white space allows for fewer distractions and easier navigation.
Paddings, margins, typography, and icons have been tied to the same modular scale. This helps preserve proportions and a consistent visual hierarchy.
Claro uses a modular scale for sizes. Credit: Drupal.
Claro uses plenty of white space to give content room to breathe. Credit: Drupal.
Physical attributes – such as depth and shadow – have been applied to spaces and elements to make them easier to perceive.
Depth and shadow are applied to create an environment that’s more familiar to the eye. Credit: Drupal.
Claro has a simplified navigation to help you do your job faster. It reuses existing styles from other components for a consistent user experience.
The default UI in Drupal 10 is quick and easy to navigate. Credit: Drupal.
Claro’s creators chose to implement PostCSS instead of Sass to make life easier for web managers and front-end developers. PostCSS provides features such as cross-browser support for CSS variables.
Developers can use the Claro Distribution for theme development. It includes a dashboard with a variety of markup generator modules for theme components, along with tests.
Olivero has replaced Bartik as the new default in Drupal 10. Just like Claro, it delivered a far more user-friendly and accessible experience. Learn more about Olivero and its namesake.
It’s easier than ever for non-technical users to edit content in Drupal 10 thanks to CKEditor 5, the new default WYSIWYG editor. Learn more about the benefits of CKEditor 5.
Learn everything you need to know about Drupal 10 with our on-demand webinar. This free resource is perfect for web managers and content creators who want to get familiar with the new features and plan for their transition.
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